1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to squeezable toy playthings, and more particularly to a plaything that resembles an animal-like or humanoid figure having appendages which when the plaything is squeezed, produces squishing sounds, as if the figure were walking on soft mud.
2. Status of Prior Art
The concern of this invention is a squeezable plaything that looks like an animal-like or humanoid figure. In our above-identified copending application Ser. No. 08/714,414, a squeezable plaything is disclosed which has a ball-like form composed of a hollow inner core whose outer surface is contoured to simulate a humanoid figure, the core being encased in a transparent shell.
When this ball is squeezed, a charge of oil and air within the hollow core is then discharged through an orifice in the core to produce a gurgling sound. But in this plaything, while the core resembles a humanoid figure, it has no projections which form appendages simulating the arms and legs of the figure, an essential feature of the present invention.
It is known to provide toy balls having a humanoid form. Thus the Tarnoff U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,190 shows a toy formed from a molded flexible bladder having a humanoid shape, the bladder being filled with a mixture of plastic microspheres and water so that the toy can be thrown or hit, yet can be caught with the bare hand. The rubber ball disclosed in the Johns U.S. Pat. No. 2,960,794 is molded to include pop out parts which when the ball is squeezed, pop out to create facial features, such as a nose and ears.
The patents of Osher et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,054 and 4,944,363 disclose squeezable toy balls having a flexible polymer shell encasing a resiliently deformable inner core of highly plasticized material. Because of the highly plasticized nature of the polymeric core, the toy ball has a soft and supple resilient feeling to one who holds and squeezes it. According to these patents, the feel of the ball is both intriguing and relaxing.
The patent to Hoover U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,762 discloses a toy having a transparent outer plastic shell enclosing an inner hollow core formed as a plurality of body parts. The British patent 743,653 to Dahs shows a hollow toy figure having an orifice which creates a sound when the figure is squeezed.
Also of prior art interest is the tearing eye doll disclosed in the Ostrander U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,500 which is actuated by squeezing the torso of the doll.